Halves
by FandomCameo
Summary: After losing everything Danny(24) decides he wants to move on, only to be dragged to Purgatory and forcibly seperated into his two halves, leaving his godfather Vlad to worry about his wherabouts. Soon after Dean is tricked into Purgatory after killing Dick Roman, leaving his brother alone. With the two duos split up they have no choice but switch partners in an attempt to reunite.
1. Chapter 1

"So this is where it happened then?" A blue skinned ghost asked, gesturing to the swirling green portal with a black clad hand. The white haired ghost next to him nodded, neon green eyes distant. "Daniel...what-"

"Phantom. Just Phantom now." The younger one interrupted, choking slightly on his words.

"Phantom then. It's been...half a decade. Why show me this now?" The elder asked. Phantom took a step towards the portal, bypassing rubble without a second thought. "I would understand if it were perhaps the anniversary of-"

"SHUT IT PLASMIUS!" Phantom shouted, green absorbing his eyes. Plasmius held up his hands, floating forward, cape flapping slightly in the wind. The blue ghost double checked his pink shield, worried about what remained of the roof caving in on them. Not that it would matter. He and Phantom were not like anyone else, and as such, could survive much more than the average human, or ghost. Things such as a portal flare that had wiped out all life within a twenty mile radius. He placed a hand on Phantom's shoulder, pulling him into a hug. Phantom sobbed, gripping onto his white suit as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded. "They were all right in front of me Vlad..." Plasmius' grip tightened. In the 5 years Danny had lived with him, never had he once mentioned that he had seen his friends and family die. "Sam and Jazz, they knew what was happening, and reached out for me. Dad...he grabbed Mom...told her that he loved her." Tears rolled down the young halfa's face, reaching the ground as snowflakes. "Tuck and Dash...they didn't know what was coming. I can remember the other girls screaming...and Dani...she reacted quicker than me, but she wasn't strong enough."

"Dani was there?" Plasmius whispered in horror. The failed clone with a mind of her own had eluded him expertly when all he had wanted to do was apologize.

"We were all so excited to be graduating...If I had just been as quick as Dani, I could have saved them." A hiccup escaped Phantom. "No one will know! We were all just small town nobodies, hoping for a chance to be seen in the world, and now everyone is dead! NO ONE KNOWS!" Plasmius held onto Phantom as the young man twisted and kicked in frustration.

"I'll...I'll let the world know." Phantom stilled. "A memorial, I have companies all over the world. You have my word." Phantom carefully extracted himself from his guardian's embrace.

"There is a scrapbook, under my bed. It will tell you everything you need to know." Phantom said. Two white rings sprang forth from his middle, causing his black hazmat suit to disappear. Red eyes widened in disbelief.

"Daniel, have you eaten at all this past week?" Plasmius exclaimed, his own black rings springing out to change him back into his human half. Danny's black hair was almost grey from lack of upkeep, the bags under his eyes a dark contrast to his fogged over ice blue eyes.

"Had to," Danny wheezed, skin like fine porcelain, pale and breakable. "make sure I didn't have strength to speed heal." Worry filled Vlad's cobalt eyes. Too late he noticed the glint of sharp metal, and suddenly Danny's white shirt was quickly becoming red. With his last bit of strength Danny pulled the knife out and fell to his knees, a serene smile on his face.

"DANIEL!"

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

 _"Look at him...that's a Fenton right there!" Blue eyes shone with respect. He smiled. Something soft touched his cheek and for the first time he saw purple...and it was beautiful._

 _"I think I`ll call him Danny."_

 _"I thought we agreed that was a dumb name."_

 _"I`ve changed my mind. He is a Danny. Danny, Danny, Danny." He gave a small gurgle and for the first time he heard laughter._

 **( / ) ( / ) ( / ) ( / )**

 _"Where is my brother!" Laughter again, he decided he rather liked that sound. "Oh, he is so small."_

 _"We've named him Danny." He was being shifted. Then he saw teal, it was comforting._

 _"I love you Danny."_

 **( / ) ( / ) ( / ) ( / )**

 _"Hey! You're in my seat!" Danny looked up wide eyed. His first day in actual school and he'd already messed up. He should have begged more to continue being homeschooled._

 _"Does it have your name on it? Oh that's right, I forgot you still can't spell!" said a girl from behind him. The blond in front of him glowered and stomped away. Danny turned around to see two kids approaching him. The girl was wearing black pants, like a boy would, which he thought was pretty cool. The African American boy next to her was wearing tan shorts and a yellow polo._

 _"Thanks." Danny blurted, blushing red._

 _"Forget about Dash." The girl said, sweeping her black hair out of the way so she would not sit on it. "I'm Sam." She held out a hand. Danny shook it._

 _"Danny." Her eyes were purple, and it was beautiful._

 _"The nerd to your right is Tuck. He's in the middle of a battle right now. He's almost won twice now." Danny peered over the boy's shoulder ._

 _"Double B, A." Tuck hesitated only a moment but did what Danny had said. He gave a holler of joy and hugged the raven haired new kid._

 _"Hello new best friend!" he cheered, receiving a smack from Sam. Tuck laughed. "New boy best friend." He corrected. His teal eyes crinkled with happiness behind his glasses. It was comforting._

 _ **( / ) ( / ) ( / ) ( / )**_

 _"Going ghost." Danny whispered. His reflection changed and he gasped. It hadn't been a dream then. He really was part ghost. Snowy white hair and a black and white hazmat. He looked like a superhero. He smirked and straightened his posture, hands on his hips. Green eyes, playful and determined gazed back at him. He liked it._

 _ **( / ) ( / ) ( / ) ( / )**_

 _" Knock, knock. Anyone in there?" Danny called, tapping the head of the Nasty Burger's mascot. The head was removed to reveal an irritated black girl._

 _"Yes Fenton?" she asked. Her normally curly hair was plastered to her face from the heat. Danny held up a cup and shook it a bit._

 _"Bought you a drink, Valarie." Danny said, stressing her first name. Valarie took it from him carefully, as if worried it would blow up._

 _"Thanks, Fenton. This isn't gonna turn me green or anything right?" She joked, although she was actually a bit concerned. Danny laughed and shook his head._

 _"No, but if my parents ever offer you a drink I would dump it in the nearest plant."_

 _"I'm gonna be meeting your parents then?" She said slyly. Danny didn't fluster like he usually did._

 _"Sure. They like to know who my friends are." Danny said offhandedly. Her eyes sparkled just the smallest bit._

 _"Well I'll be sure to meet them before you can mess up the introduction."_

 _"How do you plan to do that?" Danny asked._

 _"I get off in 20, then you and I are racing to your house."_

 _"You think you'll win?" Danny teased. It was nice to see Val come out of her self imposed shell of isolation._

 _"I know I will." She responded, green eyes playful and determined. Danny smiled. He liked it._

 **( / ) (/ ) ( / ) ( / )**

 _"It's alright to have an off day..." Dash turned suddenly to face him. "It's not alright, to keep it all to yourself." The bully-victim complex between him and Dash had died around the middle of sophomore year, around the time Danny had been bumped to advanced classes. They rarely saw each other, in fact Danny would bet money that the quarterback didn't even realize that he was the mascot now. He was still about a head shorter than the blond jock, but they had both grown._

 _"Didn't know you came to the games Fenton." Dash stalled, picking at his purple jersey. Danny laughed._

 _"I'm the mascot." Danny said with a roll of his eyes. Dash spluttered a bit._

 _"You?! I thought it was some fan girl." Danny grimaced._

 _"Yeah, I uh, broke the amplifier and haven't really gotten around to fixing it." Danny admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I am your fan though. Dash, you're a great player, all you need it a little pep." Danny playfully punched Dash in the shoulder. "What's bugging you Dash?"_

 _"My Dad, he..."; Dash looked at the ground. "He found out I was gay. He's not gonna come to the game." Danny felt like he had been struck. This was the most important game ever. For the first time in years the Casper High Ravens were playing for the championship. Dash's dad had always been there, with homemade signs and body paint. Even in the past when they had lost horribly, Mr. Baxter had always been there to hug his son after the game._

 _"He'll be there." Danny assured. "Maybe it was a shock to him, but I know you're Dad loves you." Dash shrugged. "And...and if he's not. I'll drag him here myself. So he can see that you're still the same dumb jock you've always been." The blond cracked a smile._

 _"You're so weird Fenton." He chuckled, pulling the shorter boy into a one armed hug. "Game starts soon. I need my fan girl out there cheering me on." Danny glared, causing the taller boy to laugh loudly._

 _"So I guess all the bullying in freshman year was just a gay crush then huh." Danny retaliated._

 _"Nah, cute or not you're still a nerd." Dash responded, ruffling black hair and walking out. Danny rolled his eyes and put on his costume, waiting in the wings with the other players._

 _"Welcome the Casper High Ravens!" Danny rushed out, circling the field with the players following him. He stopped in the middle of the field._

 _"CA-CAW!"_

 _"CA- CAW!" The crowd responded. The players were announced one by one, leaving the field until only he and Dash remained. The blond was scanning the crowd frantically._

 _"Your quarterback, Dash Baxter!" The crowd burst into a roar of excitement._

 _"BAX-TER! BAX-TER!" Danny cheered, the crowd quickly catching on. A large banner unfurled, reading 'Go Dash.' in rainbow. Mr. Baxter stood right beside it. Dash grinned and knelt down on one knee like he always did. Danny hopped on and the two gave the Raven's call together. Danny was carried off the field, the other team being announced, in the back ground._

 _"Hey Dad..." Dash said, letting Danny drop back to the ground._

 _"I'm sorry about earlier son. I just...didn't know what to say. You don't hate your old man, do ya?" Dash wrapped an arm around Danny's shoulders._

 _"No, this nerd knew you'd show up, and I'm just a dumb jock who didn't know any better. Right?"_

 _"Don't you have a game to go win?" Danny quipped, motioning to the coach who was motioning Dash over. Dash gave a mock salute and rushed off. "My time to shine." Danny said with a flap of his wings. The Ravens won the match without the other team scoring a single point. The stadium was in a state of celebration. Paulina, now the head of the Casper High local channel rushed on the field, to show the extent of victory. Dash meanwhile caught up to Danny. Danny removed the head of his costume and before he could speak, lips were crashing into his,_

 _"WOO! GET IT DANNY!" Sam shouted from the stands, drawing everyone's eyes. Paulina dropped her microphone._

 _"AND ANOTHER FENTON JOINS THE WAR AGAINST GHOSTS!" Jack announced dramatically, causing the flustered Danny to face palm._

 _"HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT A HYPHEN IS JACK!" Mr. Baxter called out from the other side of the stands._

 _"RIGHT! FENTON-BAXTER! MADDIE QUICK DO WE HAVE ANY SAVINGS?" Danny rolled his eyes and faced Dash. The blond suddenly seemed very nervous._

 _"Okay, here are the rules. No sugarplum, sweetie, sugar crap. I am still a man. Two, I require constant attention. C, flowers are totally manly and I expect them on special occasions. Fifthly, we just won the championship!" Danny yelled, bringing the crowd back on track. Blue eyes looked at him with respect. Danny smiled._

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

"Daniel, what have you done?" A deep voice asked softly. Danny looked up, his wound healed, but still weak. Blue skin, red eyes, the only two figures like this had been enemy and mentor, only to switch roles after the accident. Danny gave a weak glare.

"Clockwork." He spat. "Is my death not a fixed point in time? Gonna hit rewind on my suffering?" Clockwork looked away in remorse. "You saved them freshman year, to save the world from my destruction, only to take them away!" Danny crawled towards the ghost. "Let me die! Let me be with them!"

"You can't die Daniel...and that has nothing to do with my decision." Clockwork stated. Danny paused, body heaving from labored breaths.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your soul was forcibly ripped in two when you sacrificed yourself." Clockwork began.

"So Phantom is out in the Ghost Zone. Leave him. Send me to where ever my loved ones are." Danny interrupted.

"Phantom has been sent to purgatory." Clock responded. "We know that without you, he is a monster. You will join him, for the soulless deserve neither paradise nor punishment."

"Tell me Clockwork. Did I ever have a chance at a happy ending?" Danny asked.

"Goodbye Daniel." The cold blade of a scythe tapped his head.

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

A blond haired man pulled out blood stained bone from his leather jacket, a challenge in his green eyes. The business man in front of him gave a condescending smile.

"And good on you! Pulling that together. A -plus." He mocked, straightening his red tie.

"Oh you don't think this will work do you?" The man asked. "You trust that demon?" The man rallied back. They had been trying to take down Dick Roman, leviathan in disguise, for months. Castiel, a full angel of the Lord, was at his side with a bottle of Power Cleaner, giving him a reassuring nod.

"You sure I'm even me, Dean?" Dick asked.

"No," Dean admitted. "But he is." Dick looked over to Castiel, smiling at the anger in the angel's blue eyes. "See here's the thing when dealing with Crowley. He will always find a way to bone you." Dean joked, shaking the bone for emphasis.

"This meeting is over." Dick sneered. "I have real clients waiting." Dick motioned to the door behind his desk to give the silent message that there could be a witness. Castiel moved towards the monster, but was flung into a wall. Dean plunged the bone into the monster's chest. Dick gasped, but managed to dislodge the bone, snapping it in two. "Did you really think you could trump me?"

"Honestly?" Dean grabbed the real weapon out of his jacket. "No." Dick had no time to react at Castiel pulled his head back. The bone was thrust through the monster's neck. Dick yelled loudly, two doors opening right after. A tall brown haired man and teenage Asian came in from the hall, while multi billionaire Vlad Masters came from the office. "Figured we'd catch you off guard."

"What is going on here?" Vlad asked. Dick Roman transformed into his true self, his face becoming a large mouth with sharp teeth and a protruding tongue. A loud roar echoed around them before the face returned to human. Waves of energy began to pulse from monster, set in time to a accelerated heartbeat. Vlad instinctively put up a pink dome as black goo splattered everywhere. The tall man straightened himself, and looked around. Dick, Cas and Dean nowhere to be found.

"Sam, we should go." The teen urged.

"What the hell?" Sam was completed bewildered. Vlad sent out a ghost clone to scour the area. He knew the look Sam's brown eyes. Loss. It had been a week since he had seen Danny's body fade out of existence right before his eyes. No ghost had answers for him. Phantom was nowhere to be seen in the ghost zone, and while some spoke of a reaper that resided with them, none knew how to find the being. Vlad could only hope that at his death Danny had simply passed on due to his half ghost nature, but he could never be sure. That is until the blond man had mentioned demons. Vlad had never been a religious man, turning to the science of ghosts to explain afterlives, but perhaps these humans could have answers for him.

"More chompers any second Sam." The teen urged again. Vlad reabsorbed his shadow, quickly flitting through the data. Another man suddenly appeared in the room, also attired in a suit and tie.

"Not to worry." The man said with a British accent. "I have a small army of...Who's this chap?" The man asked, jabbing a thumb in Vlad's direction. Sam seemed to notice the other man for the first time.

"Vladimir Masters." He said, extending a hand. Sam threw out a knife, the blade nicking Vlad just under the eye. Vlad gave a hiss, eyes burning red.

"Crossroad demon, Crowley?" Sam asked.

"Oi. Dick was making deals behind my back. How rude." Crowley said, feigning hurt.

"I am no demon." Vlad told them. "I am worse."

"Oh dear, am I frightened." Crowley snapped back.

"Where's Dean?" Sam interrupted. Crowley smirked, buffing his nails on his suit.

"That bone...has a bit of a kick. God weapons often do. They should put a warning on the box.

"Where are they Crowley!" He roared, his figure intimidating.

"Can't help you Sam." Crowley snapped his fingers and two demons appeared on either side of the teen. "Sorry, prophet's mine." Another snap of his fingers and Sam was left alone with a potential monster.

"I will help you. If you help me in return." Vlad said, eyes back to cobalt. Sam was internally impressed with the man. Never before had anyone matched him in height, and the man seemed so composed, even though the events that had just occurred where most definitely not normal.

"No...I can't. I can't hunt with anyone but Dean. I have no leads, no database, nothing. Plus I'm not interested in any taking over the world schemes you may have." Sam explained.

"Daniel has informed me that any attempt I make to take over the world ends with me stranded on an asteroid." Vlad said through gritted teeth.

"Uh, care to run that by me again?" Sam asked.

"The boy I need help finding used to be my enemy. Daniel has a knack for making powerful allies with almost no problems..." Vlad's eyes widened. "Clockwork, he must be the reaper." Vlad whispered to himself.

"Wait, Reaper? As in take your soul after you die, reaper?" Vlad eyes snapped back up to Sam.

"Help me. I merely seek answers to where he has gone. I have no interest in bringing him back if he is happy." Vlad assured. "In return I can aid you in anything you desire. Funding, ancient texts, criminal records erased?" Sam looked on the verge of caving in, so Vlad decided to press the issue. "We only had each other to rely on, ever since he lost his family and friends all in one day. Please."

"Alright." Sam agreed. "Let me get the Impala."

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

Danny watched curiously from the tree Phantom had left him in temporarily. A man that he had at first mistaken for Dash had landed first face in the dirt sometime ago. Another man with black hair in a trench coat had just appeared. Danny felt a slight tug at his heart upon seeing black so close to blond, but pushed it away. The black haired man leaned back from where he had presumably been checking if the blond had been breathing.

"Wake up, Dean." The man said in monotone. Dean opened his eyes. "Good, we need to get out of here." Dean stood up, looking around. Danny made sure to hide in foliage.

"Where are we Cas?" Dean asked.

"You don't know?" Cas responded. "Where would a Leviathan go in death?"

"Wait..are you telling me?"

"Every soul here is a monster." There was a rustling in the trees as Danny's hand slipped off the branch in shock. He was not a monster, and neither was Phantom, despite being separated from him. "This is where they come to prey upon each other for all eternity.

"We're in Purgatory? How do we get out?" Dean questioned in alarm.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Danny said softly, sensing Phantom's approach.

"I'm afraid we're much more likely to be torn to shreds." Phantom landed in the tree with practiced grace, wrapping his hands around Danny's middle and wordlessly lowering him to the ground.

"Cas, I think we better-" Dean turned to find Castiel missing. "Cas?" Phantom poked at Danny in the side, motioning with his chin towards Dean. Danny studied Dean a bit closer. The man looked about ten years older than him, but seemed in excellent shape, then again Vlad had always been in top condition.

"Get the perimeter." Danny ordered and Phantom quickly zoomed off. Danny approached Dean slowly, making sure to crunch as many leaves as possible to alert the man of his presence.

"What are you?" Dean growled, knife glinting.

"Human, same as you." Danny said offhandedly. "Humans can't get in here unless their souls are bonded to a 'monster', so what was trench coat?"

"Right, like I'm supposed to believe that another human would just so happen to find me." Dean retorted. Dean gripped Danny by the front of his white button up, slamming him against the base of the nearest tree.

"I wouldn't do that. The monster I'm bonded to is one to be feared." Danny growled, hand gripping Dean's wrist tightly. Dean winced and let go, afraid that the raven haired man would break his arm.

"Eye for an eye?" Dean suggested begrudgingly.

"Ghost."

"Angel." Dean admitted. "Looks like I trump you. So pipe down pipsqueak."

"Phantom!" Danny shouted. There was a white blur and Phantom stood next to Danny, green eyes bright. His ghost half had changed since he was fourteen, growing fangs and skin turning ice blue due to his overexcessive ice core. At first Danny had freaked out, worried he was turning into an alternative future evil version of himself, but as long as the eyes remained the same neon green, and his hair the same flowing snow white he had no reason to worry.

"What? Twin you called back from the dead?" Dean asked scathingly.

"Necromancy is child's play." Phantom said, in the same exact voice as Danny. "We used to be one person. We gained our powers through science, not anything shady."

"When my human half died, my ghost half was forcibly dragged here. Half my soul was here, and there's no judgement passed on those without a whole soul." Danny explained further. "If there is a way out of here, you might have to take your monster with you."

"Great." Dean said deadpan. "Well, as 'wonderful' as it was to run into you, I work better alone." Danny shrugged.

"If you say so. But, if you do find a way out...call for Phantom. I'd rather live out my life in the Ghost Zone than here." Dean regarded him silently for a moment. The man was younger than his little brother, but his eyes showed signs of aging. Dean gave a nod and walked off.

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

"Thanks again for towing the Impala here." Sam said as he spotted the black Chevy in the driveway of Vlad's mansion. Vlad merely inclined his head, deep in thought. "I hope this isn't rude, but how old are you?" Vlad looked up to see a faint blush on Sam's cheeks. "I mean, your hair is most definitely grey, but you don't seem..."

"I am 50, but I've been cursed with silver hair since I was twenty. However, my age is really irrelevant. Since my accident my aging process has decreased dramatically in my human half. I am immortal. Or so I thought, until Daniel managed to end his own life. It seems I will only be able to die by my own hand." The driver opened up the door to the limo and Vlad gracefully stepped out. Sam floundered on his exit, hastily rubbing down his jacket upon standing. "Let it be clear, that if you reveal any secrets that I divulge to you, you will not make it out of the castle alive."

"I don't have anyone to tell." Sam responded. Vlad accepted this answer and opened the doors, striding in. Sam followed, marveling at the numerous decorations around. He went on alert as two black rings sprung from Vlad's midsection, heading in opposite directions. Before him stood a blue skinned monster with fangs and red eyes. Vlad had forgone his devil hairdo sometime after Danny had joined him, instead keeping it tied in a ponytail as he did in his human half. After Danny had described the secret to transforming his costume, Vlad had opted for a white suit with a red handkerchief in the pocket. He barked out an order in Latin and several ghosts appeared in front of him. Sam tried to calm his heart, which felt as if it were ramming itself against his ribs to run the hell out of house and never come back.

"Staff, this is Samuel. You will treat him as you treated Daniel." Plasmius stated.

"Yes Master Plasmius." The ghosts said in unison. Except one, Sam noticed. Sam cleared his throat, gaining Plasmius' attention.

"One of your...servants...didn't agree. I'd rather not have to exorcise him later and have you kill me in retaliation." Plasmius turned back to his servants.

"Speak your disagreements." A green ghost with white eyes stepped forward.

"It was enough hassle looking after your first boy toy, how many are you going to go through in your eternity." He sneered. All the other servants immediately separated from the dissenter, and with good reason. Red flames quickly encircled the ghost.

"Daniel was like a son to me! How dare you disrespect him!" Plasmius roared, floating up above the ghost, purple electricity sparking around his hands. "My interactions with humans are none of your concern. In fact, nothing is of your concern now." The ghost fell to his knees.

"Please, do not kill me!" The flames extinguished in a single motion.

"Leave, and never return." The ghost nodded frantically and dove through the floor. Plasmius landed back on the floor, taking a calming breath. "I require Skulker, Ember, Kathrine and Johnathan." he stated, walking towards the stairs. The ghosts immediately scrambled, a few giving Sam a quick smile.

"Haunted mansion...great."

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

"This will be your room." Vlad stated, opening the door for Sam. Sam lugged his duffel bag inside, dropping it on the bed. "I hope the snooze you took in the limo was sufficient, clean up and I will have someone escort you downstairs."

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." Sam hastily responded as the door closed behind Vlad. Sam ran a hand through is long hair. "What am I doing?" he breathed. Kevin was captive, and Dean was missing. He couldn't do it alone, and the big evil was gone. It was his chance to be normal, except he needed to help Vlad first. Therein lay another problem, he was strangely attracted to the older man, but he was still unsure of in which way. Did he want the man's approval because he was rich and in his mind a higher class than him? Sam shook his head and turned to the bathroom to freshen up.

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

"Meridith, please retrieve suit 213 and leave it for Samuel to find." Vlad said to the passing maid. There was a chime throughout the house, alerting Vlad that someone was requesting entrance from the Ghost Zone. Transforming into Plasmius he dove through the floor. He touched down on the floor of his lab, walking over to the hand scanner. He phased his glove off and pressed his hand to unlock the door. A young woman with blue skin and green eyes was waiting on the other side of the door. Her steel toed boots clunked on the ground as she walked into the lab.

"Did you find him?" She asked, concern only barely hidden beneath a mask of indifference.

"Unfortunately not Miss Ember." Ember's flaming blue hair died down just the tiniest bit. "But I have found someone who may be able to help."

"Skulker should be getting here soon. He had to reattach his arm." Ember relayed. "He managed to get that upgrade installed that you sent over, His power lines have changed to match his hair."

"Yes, that means it is working properly. His suit will now actively convert outside energy into a sustainable mass, until he will be able to function without it." Vlad explained, searching through the papers on the table. 'If the power lines are anything but green or the light blue they were before, have him eject from the suit immediately."

"Thank you..." Ember whispered. Vlad was an excellent employer, despite his evil reputation. The man wasn't evil at all in her opinion, he just decided those he didn't care about were not worth his time or compassion. While Ember appeared about 19, had she stayed living she would be around 32. She wasn't as antiestablishment as before and having found Skulker to be with she desired a child. Skulker's true form could not support losing that much energy though, he was barely the size of her palm.

"Miss Ember, what do you know of demons?" Plasmius asked carefully. Ember paused at the question, but joined Plasmius at the table, looking over his hand made map of the ghost zone.

"Heaven and Hell are just words, there is only the ghost zone." The rocker said. "There is only moving on and staying here. I suppose a Hallow would be what I thought was a demon when I was alive..."

"They reside in an entirely different dimension." Plasmius mentioned. One of the reasons he was seen as a higher up in the Ghost Zone was because he had taken the time to learn their culture. A Hallow was simply a person who would not accept their deaths and refused to move on. They became monstrous creatures that could not reside in the Ghost zone. Plasmius was pulled from his thoughts as Skulker arrived. The hunter gave his boss respectful nod and went to stand next to his girlfriend. The roar of a motorbike sounded on the other side of the door. A blond man in a black trench coat rushed in without introduction, green eyes searching the room.

"Have you found the little man yet?" he asked, out of breath.

"No." Ember answered. The grey skinned man's shoulder's slumped. A green skinned female walked up beside him and placed a hand on his back, her own red eyes filling with tears.

"Thank you for your concern Johnathan, but there is no need to look so forlorn. I have come in contact with someone who may be able to find him." Johnny looked up in shock.

"And if he can't?" his girlfriend asked tersely.

"Kitty..." Ember said slowly. Kitty pulled at her green locks.

"No! Why would you ever take him back there? WHY! How did you not notice him getting sicker and sicker right in front of you!" Kitty yelled, swinging her red purse half heartedly at Plasmius. Ember wrapped Kitty in a restraining hug, her best friend breaking down into tears.

"Daniel was no longer a little boy when he came here. I could not hover over him without pushing him away." Plasmius answered. "I know you feel strongly for the boy..."

"You weren't there Plasmius! You talk of how you took him in and healed him, but it was ME who had to pick up the pieces in the first place. There were millions! Do NOT diminish what I did for the boy, simply because I was only able to glue him back together while you thought you could pay to fix him." Kitty huffed, mascara running down her face.

"I'm trying my best..." Plasmius said softly. "I cannot promise we'll find him. And if we do I cannot promise we will bring him back."

"I am not asking that. I just want him happy again. We all do."

 **SPNDPSPNDPSPNDPSPNDP**

"Where do you think these guys go when we kill them?" Danny asked, staring down at the beheaded vampire. Phantom shrugged, wiping off his hands on the nearest tree.

"Maybe they respawn." Phantom suggested. He absentmindedly picked at his white and black outfit. "Do you think that Dean guy will find a way out?" Danny picked a few twigs out of his hair while he thought.

"Yes. If Purgatory exists so do Heaven and Hell, despite what Vlad says. If there is a Heaven there is a God and if there is a God he would not send his own angel to rot here for eternity. The cosmos are fucking with someone else's life besides mine for a change and I'm gonna take advantage of that to get out of here."

"You think Vlad has already declared us dead. It would be kinda awkward for you if he did." Danny rolled his eyes, playfully shoving his counterpart.

"No. He's probably looking for me. How long has it been?" He asked. Phantom took out the ticking silver clock he had nabbed from Clockwork during his own sentencing.

"Little over a week. May 19th." Danny nodded, peering out into the gloom. He didn't notice Phantom watching him, conflicting emotions in his eyes. "Do you think we will reform if we get out?"

"I don't know."

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	2. Player Two Press Start

Sam gazed at his reflection, smoothing down the grey suit he was wearing. The ghost maid was floating nearby, hands fidgeting nervously. The suit probably cost more than anything he had ever owned.

"Are you here to help find young Master Danny?" The ghost asked, hiding her blue eyes behind tawny brown bangs.

"I will try." Sam dryly responded, voice cracking. The maid quickly phased through the wall and returned with a framed photograph. Brown eyes widened at seeing the young man in the photograph. He had a striking resemblance to Castiel, well not Castiel but his vessel Jimmy Novak. He was dressed in graduation gowns, a polite smile on his face.

"I'll bring you downstairs now." The maid said, grabbing his arm. A strange tingle passed through his body and suddenly the both of them were sinking through the floor. They touched down in a scientific lab of some sort, the tingle disappearing. The maid gave a small bow before vanishing through the wall. Sam gazed at the inventions in interest as he passed. He knocked on the metal door he could hear voices coming from. The door was encased in purple energy and then swung open, the only motion being Plasmius' fingers manipulating the door. Sam gave the other occupants a small nod before moving to stand next to Plasmius. Both male ghosts pulled their girlfriends a bit closer, but seemed to relax when Plasmius laid a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Ember, Skulker, Johnathan, and Katherine." Plasmius said, pointing to each one in turn. "This is Samuel Winchester. He deals with the Supernatural on a daily basis." Sam gave a strained smile.

"What, and you don't?" Ember asked, crossing her arms.

"I deal with ghosts, ghosts are scientific. Samuel here has dealt with many a monster." Sam took this as his cue to speak.

"Firstly, it's just Sam, Samuel was my grandfather. And I want to help, I really do, but I'm not sure if I will be able to." Sam ended sheepishly. Ember seemed to size him up, nudging her boyfriend, who ran a scan on him.

"Let us start." Skulker said, motioning to the map. Sam looked at it, noticing the homes of those with him.

"As you may have guessed, I am half ghost." Vlad said, now in human form next to Sam. He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off.

"Yeah, I don't get that. How can you be half dead?" Ember groaned, laying her head on the table.

"I am not dead. Not every ghost that you see was once a living person. There is a substance known as ectouranium, that gives off ectoenergy. This energy can gain sentience if manipulated properly. In cases such as Ember and Skulker, they will concentrate parts of their energy into a child. As for myself, I was hit with a blast of impure ectoplasm that bonded itself to my genetic code. It was essentially a parasite, but it preferred a symbiotic relationship, leaving me in control." Vlad explained. Sam nodded at the explanation, surprised that there even was one. "Daniel was like me, which is why I am concerned about where he ended up."

"A ghost, the ones I hunt, move on when you kill them. I don't know where they go." Sam admitted.

"There is a place known as the Ghost Zone. It is for those who accept their deaths, but do not wish to move on for one reason or another. You must be hunting Shades. Beings tied to an object and unable to leave." Vlad recited.

"And these Shades, they become vengeful spirits if left bound to long, right?" Sam asked. Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Humans...always throwing around spirit, and ghost as if the two are interchangeable." She muttered. "Spirits are pure. Never alive, just created long before the first ghost. " Sam nodded in understanding.

"Right, I apologize. As I was saying Shades move on, to wherever they are supposed to go. Heaven or Hell, but if you are saying that ghosts are just energy, well you can't die, can you?"

"One can be stripped of their energy and then have their core crushed, and we will cease to exist, but no, we do not die." Skulker said, Ember gripping his had tightly, knowing that this had almost happened to her boyfriend ages ago.

"My best guess as to what happened, this ghost half, ceased to exist, and you in fact do not have a living corpse to leave behind, only a soul to get rid of. Meaning Daniel is where he is meant to be. What I don't understand, is why Daniel wouldn't reform a new body from ectoenergy if his soul was already aware of what it was like to be a ghost." Sam guessed, running a finger over a few key places on the map. He looked up at the sudden silence in the room, seeing concern in the eyes of the ghosts. He slowly turned to see a grief stricken Vlad.

"May 17th, 2007. The Fenton Works Portal to the Ghost Zone let out a deadly flair, instantly killing everything within a 20-mile radius, where the energy hit the town's ghost shield and was contained. My portal had a similar flair, but I had put up precautions against such things. May 17th was the day Daniel lost all his friends and family, right before his very eyes."

"That was the day all Hell broke loose." Sam commented. Vlad quirked an eyebrow.

"I suppose one could say-"

"No, I mean, literally Hell broke loose." Sam continued. "I wasn't able to stop someone in time, and they opened a Devil's Gate, a direct portal to hell. Thousands upon thousands of Demons escaped. It could be connected." Sam gave a cry of surprise as he was pinned to the wall by an angry Plasmius. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have trusted Jake, I know that! But I paid for it already!" Sam managed to push Plasmius back, the ghost flashing his fangs in warning. "He killed me after I spared him. I came back in time to see just how badly I failed, and then wasn't able to save Dean from being dragged to Hell for saving me! It was an unfortunate accident, that's all!" Plasmius gave a hiss, his black hair taking on the appearance of flames.

"Woah dude! Chill!" Johnny exclaimed, stepping between Sam and Plasmius. "He's the only link we have to find little man, don't fry him!" Sam unsheathed his knife, challenging Plasmius with a customary glare.

"You think you're the only one hurting?" Sam accused, hand trembling. Dean was gone again, and it was his fault. He would not be blamed for something he had already paid enough for.

"Move Johnny." Ember said, pulling him out of the middle. Plasmius lunged for Sam, who ducked and rolled away at the last moment, his knife being flung out of his hand by a small ectoblast. Sam pulled out his gun and took aim, hitting Plasmius in the shoulder. Plasmius gave a roar of pain, sending purple lightning towards Sam.

"Damn this suit." Sam muttered as he ducked behind the table he had knocked over. "What is up with him!" He shouted to the other occupants as a blast hit the table, pushing both it and him forward a few feet.

"He's been a bit unstable since Daniel left." Skulker said deadpan as he watched Sam empty his gun. He raised a metallic eyebrow as he saw salt come out instead of bullets. Sam took a deep breath and looked to his side, only to be reminded that his brother wasn't there to back him up. He shook his head and kicked the table out back towards Plasmius. Red eyes widened as the table hit his middle, pinning him to the floor. He pushed it off, but Sam was ready spilling his salt in a circle along the floor. Plasmius rammed into an invisible barrier, snarling. Sam took this chance to pick up his dropped knife.

"Glad to know this works on you too." A pink blast hit the floor, splintering it, and releasing Plasmius.

"Think again Sammy." Plasmius mocked, his hair returning to normal, though his eyes still burned with fury. Sam could see that the dispute was over, but he still threw out his knife, once again cutting Plasmius right under the eye.

"Only Dean calls me Sammy." He said coldly.

"I think we are done for the night." Vlad said, striding out of the room. Sam pulled his knife from where it was embedded in the wall, putting it away.

"I'd like to know more about Danny."

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"You know I used to have a boyfriend who looks like you." Danny commented. He was currently laying on Phantom's back, watching the trees above him. It continued to amaze him how Phantom was able to stabilize his flight pattern so Danny would not fall even if they were making various twists and turns. "Though his eyes were blue."

"Does it look like I care!" Dean growled from where he was walking below them. "You can have a sappy reunion with him when you get out." Dean gave a yelp as he was suddenly held in the air by Phantom.

"Leave him Phantom. He didn't know." Danny called out from where he had been left on the ground. Phantom glowered at Dean and reluctantly let him down. Dean straightened out his jacket with a huff. He turned to Danny to complain about his ghost's lack of control, but was entranced by pain filled blue eyes.

"Everyone I ever loved, with the exception of my godfather, is dead. I saw them die right before my eyes when I was 18 years old." Danny explained, Phantom coming up behind him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "My mother and father, my two best friends, my daughter, my sister, the love of my life!" Danny winced as Phantom squeezed his arm painfully. The gloved hand quickly retreated and the ghost zoomed off.

"What's his deal?" Dean asked, a bit rudely. Danny sighed, sitting down on a nearby log and pushing back his hair.

"He blames himself." Danny said, looking out into the forest. "But it's not his fault, it's mine." Dean took a seat next to Danny.

"What do you mean. I thought you were the same person?"

"It's hard to explain. A monster is a monster, regardless. He has instincts, I have mine. He is...a parasite. Ghosts are solidified energy. He chose to mimic my form and bind to my DNA, this boosts his power as he has a living source of energy to leech. In turn I get supernatural powers in my human form. I was in control though. He wasn't my prisoner, just...it's like I kept him on the bench. He only sprang forward when I called him, or his instincts would not allow him to remain seated. But even then, it's more like I feel him pushing against my mind, and I have to consent. He had been pushing, and I thought a ghost was around that was going to try and claim our territory. But my ghost sense wasn't going off, so I decided to ignore it. I wanted to spend the night with my friends and family. And then when the accident happened, I didn't let him out fast enough. My daughter, she tried, but she was different. Her ghost half had no restraint, and she didn't ever try and enforce it, because her ghost half, Phantasma, had saved her life more times than she could count. Phantasma was out in a flash, placing an energy field around us. The flare tore right through. Phantasma's powers are...were...radioactive. Only a stabilized energy field was able to stop it. I could have saved them, if I had just..." Dean cleared his throat awkwardly. "They...disintegrated."

"How long were you and Phantom bonded before that, I mean, could either of you really have done anything?" Dean asked, trying to rid Danny of some guilt. Danny stood, towering over Dean. The Hunter could not help but be intimidated. Flecks of green appeared in Danny's eyes and he let out a low growl.

"Four years we were together. Training day after day, learning day after day, testing our limits, day after day! It was my obsession! I had to protect them, but now there is nothing left to protect."

"Yeah, well I have a brother to get back to, so excuse me if I don't join in on your pity party. That's part of being a hero. People die." Danny took a step back, giving a small nod. His hands lit up with a green glow that seemed like it was contained just beneath the surface of his skin.

"You're right." Danny placed his hands on either side of Dean's head, causing the man to scream. "People die."

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Sam laid in the plush bed, staring up at the ceiling. He gave a huff of impatience and threw the covers off, standing up. He halfheartedly walked out into the hall, pausing only a short moment in front of Vlad's door before walking outside into the back garden. The white roses were illuminated by the soft light of the moon. It had been three days and Vlad was still not speaking to him. A small rocket impacted with the statue next to him, sending concrete flying outwards. Sam looked up, Skulker flying above him with a predatory grin.

"Let's see if you can run with the pack." Sam had no time to respond as a shockwave of pink music crashed into him from the side. The human hastily hauled himself from the hedges, running back towards the house. A black shadow rose from under the door, blocking his entrance.

"Shit." The roar of a motorcycle came from behind him and he quickly rolled out of the way. Johnny hooked his bike around, leaving black skid marks in his wake. Kitty lunged from her spot behind Johnny and tackled Sam. The two rolled head over heels, miraculously coming to a stop on their feet, grappling each other's hands. Kitty let her nails extend. Sam jerked his head back, allowing Kitty to gain leverage over him. Sam let go of one of her hands, chancing the scratch marks across his face in order to lift the ghost girl over his head. He sent her reeling into Skulker. Ember rushed the human, clipping the tow line of Johnny's bike to Sam's back belt loop. The engine revved and Sam was dragged back. He twisted as quickly as he could, planting his feet on the ground and tugging back at the tow line. Johnny looked back in surprise as his bike came to a stop. Sam quirked a sarcastic smile and in an instant had his knife in his hand. The line was cut and Johnny sent crashing into the fountain. "You didn't think I came unprepared, did you?" Sam challenged. He was able to stop the lunging Kitty with a single hand, gripping her by the throat. He quickly transferred her to his other hand, capturing her wrists so she could not attack.

"Halloween nights!" Ember called out, switching the notch on her guitar. Kitty swung back and kicked off of Sam's chest. She gave out a yowl that mixed with a skull formation from Ember's guitar. The energy changed into an angry cat face, hitting Sam head on. He fell to his knees, covering his ears.

"Black Cat!" Kitty let out another yowl that Shadow absorbed, turning into a condensed ball of green cackling energy. Skulker sent out a few heat seeking missiles for good measure. Every attack hit a magenta dome of energy. Sam cracked a single eye open, seeing Plasmius standing off to the side.

"Really, attacking him at his most vulnerable?" Plasmius asked. His crew lined up to the side, muttering under their breaths. "And yet, he still managed to hold up better than expected." Sam stood, his face still dripping blood. His chest heaved from the adrenaline rush, the cool night breeze suddenly freezing against his bare chest. "I have been reading a journal I had found in Daniel's room." Everyone perked up at the comment, hoping for good news.

"Anything good?" Sam asked, eye beginning to swell up. Plasmius nodded.

"I know how to find the reaper."

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"That sonafabitch." Dean cursed as he awoke where he had started. "That kid is so dead, or re dead, or undead, whatever!" Dean huffed, kicking a pile of leaves nearby. "CAS! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" he was met with silence.

"I guess you do respawn." Phantom said lazily. Dean whirled around, and upon finding nothing looked up into the trees. The shock white hair was there. Phantom dropped to the ground gracefully, walking towards Dean with calculated steps. Dean found himself unable to move and suddenly very nervous. "How about a sparring match. Unadulterated rage, over and over, right here." Phantom stopped in front of Dean and floated so they were eye level. "Though, I think you'll be the one constantly respawning." Dean jabbed forward with his knife, causing Phantom to laugh and float backward, his intangible middle solidifying. "So hot out the box!" Phantom made a finger gun motion, hitting Dean between the eyes with a small ectoblast. The respawn took only a few seconds. "Can we pick up the pace?" Phantom drawled. Dean moved forward again, slashing as quickly as he could. Phantom dodged every swipe still staring at Dean. When the human fumbled Phantom grabbed him by the middle and shot into the sky.

"Down! Put me down!" Dean demanded, the height dizzying. He never had liked heights, but this predicament was ten times worse than flying on a plane. Phantom placed his head on Dean's shoulder so they were both looking at the ground. Dean could feel the silky white hair brush against his cheek. It bothered him that there was no heartbeat against his back, despite the fact that they were flush together.

"Alright then." Phantom let go of the hunter. Phantom winced as Dean hit the ground with a crunch. "Wouch. That had to hurt."

"I hate you!" Dean shouted from the ground. Phantom chuckled, zipping back down.

"Turn it up! Get angry! Heat it up!" Phantom goaded, poking at the hunter and turning invisible each time Dean turned. "I need to be entertained..." Phantom complained as he managed to kill Dean again. He gasped as he was stabbed in the back. He reached over his shoulders to grip Dean by his and flipped the human in an arch. Dean felt the air rush out of him as he landed on his back at Phantom's feet. The heel of a white boot was the last thing he saw.

"Give me my knife." Dean said as he respawned. Phantom tossed the knife up and down. "What's your problem anyway?"

"You aren't a match for me. What a shame. I was looking forward to beating someone into the ground." Phantom said. "I might as well go get him."

"Good luck with that. Who knows how far we are." Dean muttered. Phantom took out his pocket watch.

"About three days away, well walking anyway. Catch ya later." Phantom relayed, misting away in a cloud of blue smoke. Dean was once again alone. He shook out his body, scouring the area for his knife and trying to forget how uncomfortable Phantom made him.

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"Are you sure this Clockwork is a reaper?" Sam asked. The six of them were in the basement room again, making plans on their map.

"Legend says he is." Ember said.

"You know Reapers are a type of angel, right?" Sam pressed. "You think Heaven and Hell don't exist and you think this ghost is a reaper."

"Well, is he, or isn't he? You're the one who read the journal a million times." Kitty said. Sam flipped back to Danny's rant of Clockwork.

"I'm...not sure. The signs all point to it, but I feel like I'm missing something. If this Clockwork can control time, and see the future, wouldn't he know we would find this? It might be a trap." Sam argued.

"Or he knew we would want answers and is willing to give them to us." Plasmius countered. Sam tapped his finger on the table in thought, rereading the passage again. "Daniel and he parted on bad terms according to the boy, but I do not think that Clockwork would hold such a grudge. He did after all save his family the first time."

"Plasmius, you and I are going. That's it." Sam said, shaking his head as he flipped through the pages again. A grey hand slammed onto the table in front of him. He followed it up, looking into furious green eyes.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She demanded. "If anyone is going to yell at the nitwit for leaving us, it's gonna be me."

"Because. If we fail, you guys can keep looking. Not to mention I work better as a pair. I will not be held accountable for all of you." Skulker took a step forward and whispered something to his girlfriend. She raised an eyebrow and cast a sidelong glance at Plasmius. Sam was disturbed by the pleasant smile that came onto her face.

"Fine." Sam gave an oomph of surprise as she pulled him half across the table by his shirt. Well technically Vlad's shirt, since the man refused to let him wear 'rags'. "But when you two are backed into a corner, I'm not going to be the one to come save you."

"My suit Miss Ember." Plasmius warned. Ember let go with a smirk. "You will need to do preliminary training Sam. The Ghost Zone is no place for a human."

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"I hate this stupid." Dean gave a groan of frustration.

"Bad day?" Phantom asked, appearing next to the man midstride. He gave a small eep as he ducked to avoid the man's swinging fist. "I'll take that as a yes." He said with a chuckle.

"I hate you. Go away." Dean muttered. Phantom lazily floated backwards in front of Dean, not letting the man's glare stop his toothy grin.

"Aw come 'on. Everyone loves me. Is it the blue thing?" Phantom asked. "Makes me look like a smurf." Dean continued to ignore the ghost, but did nothing to walk around him. Phantom floated higher and let the man walk past. He sadly watched Dean continue into the distance. Dean stopped just at the edge of the clearance. Phantom grinned and zipped over to him, teasing the man by having his spectral tail whip him in the ear as he talked.

"You're a pain in the ass."

"Sure, but who do like better, me or Danny?" Phantom asked.

"You've both killed me." Dean said. Phantom ruffled Dean's hair.

"Correction. I defeated you in sparring several times." Phantom paused, coming back down to the ground. "Danny killed you?" Phantom snorted. "No offense, but how?" He added, but there was a slight waver to his voice.

"Green glowing hands, okay." Dean admitted. He wasn't about to confess that he had essentially provoked the other human. "You can zip around here like nothing right? Why don't you find the exit already? Unless you want to stay?"

"No. Of course not." Phantom replied. He stared down at his reflection in the stream that Dean had stopped at. Danny had killed another human. Everyone had always pegged him as the monster, because he was the ghost. It was Danny's mental break that caused Dan though. It was Danny's inability to let it go that affected his obsession and forced him to cause pain and destruction. "Humans don't belong here."

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 _I got to see CW do a sentencing today. I had to remain hidden behind the gears, but still! Like I know death is a thing, but I've never really thought about it before. And then I realized…I'm a half ghost. So I'm half dead…. wait a second, time just stopped. CW is going to take me somewhere. Alright, not half dead. I…I just saw my accident. This…thing inside of me, it's well… weird. It's me but it's not._

Sam sighed and flipped the pages of the journal. That had been one of Danny's earlier entries, back when he was just getting his powers. The one he was on now, it was terrifying.

 _I Won't Be Him. NO. It won't happen. I would kill myself. No one needs me. It'll be fine. Greater good you know! HE is horrible. HE will kill them all. I…I'm scared. HE is just in CW tower. It doesn't matter if I do the things or don't. HE still exists. HE will always exist. FOREVER. HE killed humans…my friends…my family. How can I look at them? It will always be in the back of my mind. Even though it doesn't matter what I do. HIS timeline is different than mine now. I can't do anything about it, except hope._

There was a soft knock at his door before the ghost maid Meridith came through. She smiled and set out a suit for him as she had done so every day, along with a task list. To be honest he felt like a well-groomed pet. Or another butler or something. Sam sighed and picked up his task list for the day. It contained only one word. RUN. Sam quirked an eyebrow, looking over at the suit.

"Yeah, right." Sam dug through his own bag, pulling out his running suit. He peered at the paper again, and decided to strap a few weapons to his legs and back. He had just pulled on his sweatshirt when Meridith appeared again. "What's that?"

"It's an ectogun. Master wants you to practice with it after your run." Sam took the weapon, appreciating its heft. "Master also told me to tell you that he will regrettably not be able join you for breakfast, and so has had your favorite made in compensation." Sam scowled slightly, human pet it was then.

"Yeah, thank you." Meridith nodded and left the room. Sam jogged downstairs, finding the eerie silence in the house disturbing. His suspicion left however when he noticed the undeniable smell of mac n cheese with marshmallow Stuff. There was a small note next to the bowl.

' _For your help.'_

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"Phantom!" Danny shouted. "Where are you!" He punched another werewolf in the face. "PHANTOM!" There was a whoosh as several monsters were beheaded. Danny turned with a smile on his face, expecting his other half to be at his side. He stumbled back when a hulking vampire was there instead.

"You're the human?" The vampire asked nonchalantly, wiping of his blade. Danny stood tall. He was 23 years old for petes sake.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"You don't _smell_ human." The vampire continued.

"Okay, um, ew?" Danny replied with a look of disgust. Danny dug deep into his core, letting his eyes bleed to green. The vampire laughed heartily, resting his axe on his shoulder.

"I heard you're looking for a way out." Danny powered down, considering the monster before him.

"I am. You know it?" Danny asked. The vampire nodded. "Then why are you still here?"

"Only humans can get out, and their bonded. Me, Imma need a lift." The vampire explained. Danny nodded along, he had figured it would be something along those lines. "Only problem is the site is about a month away, not to mention there needs to be special astologiwhatever crap for it to open."

"Astrological. Like what?" Danny knew it was around the 30th of the month, and he hoped they wouldn't have to wait long for the portal to open. The event that the vampire was describing however was cutting it close. "We need to get a move on, now. Unless…PHANTOM!" The shout echoed a few times, but there was no reply.

"Who you calling for?" The vampire asked, looking out into the trees. Danny clenched a fist.

"No one." Danny sighed and held out his hand to the vampire. "Danny." The vampire took it.

"Benny."

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"So if you can poof anywhere, how come you haven't found the way out?" Dean asked Phantom. They were currently by the creek, cleaning up from their latest battle. He received no answer so he chanced a look over to the ghost. Detecting the faintest sign of tears, he quickly looked away, not wanting to be dragged into a chick moment.

"Danny hasn't called for me. Do you think he left me here?" The voice was so broken.

"Nah. You guys are like Batman and Robin." Phantom got a sly smirk on his face, and opened his mouth to reply. "You're Robin." Phantom scowled.

"We weren't always. In the earlier years, whenever there was a chance to rid himself of me, he did it, no matter the risks. Do you want to know how we ended up here?"

"I had been wondering." Dean admitted.

"Danny killed us. For years there was this subliminal self-loathing at having survived. But that self-loathing was towards me, for saving him. For two weeks he trapped me in his mind, didn't eat, barely survived. This is the part that is hard to explain. When we were together, he could change into my form, but his mentality was the dominant one still. I could essentially whisper to him how to do things, or suggestions, but as an inner voice. I was still him; he was still me. This time…I felt as if I was chained down without a voice. It felt so wrong. I saw the gleam of metal and then…he turned back into himself. Then I felt myself being torn from him. It hurt, and I'm thankful Danny didn't feel a thing. It was Clockwork, the master of time, and he told me I would be going here. I panicked, dove for a time medallion and got this instead." Phantom held up the silver watch that was slowly ticking. Dean grabbed it in awe.

"Time! How long have I been here?"

"Ten days." Phantom answered.

"That's it?" Dean moaned. "How long have you been here?"

"Seventeen days." Phantom said. "Danny has been here sixteen. Danny was furious. He never really forgave Clockwork for not saving his family. Danny doesn't understand that Clockwork has no control over anomalies. What about you?"

"I used a weapon of God to send a monster here and I got pulled along for the ride."

"Woah." Dean beamed.

"Yeah, kinda saved the world."

"I've saved the world a few times."

"Yeah, well I stopped the apocalypse." Phantom's eyes lit up with glee.

"I knew I knew you from somewhere. You're the idiot who started the apocalypse." Phantom laughed loudly, sprawling out on the ground. Dean flushed and stood over the ghost with a scowl. "You can't take credit for something you started."

"How do you know about that?" Dean asked gruffly. Phantom uncovered his face and smiled at the Hunter.

"I saw it. I transported Death to your realm." Dean took a small step back in surprise. Phantom launched himself at the Hunter, lifting them both into the air in excitement. "Death is the coolest!"

"DOWN!" Dean hollered as Phantom began to spin.

"Oh thank you for letting me meet him!" Phantom rejoiced. He laughed as Dean hugged him tighter, afraid of falling. "Grabbing onto me won't help. I could just do this." Phantom turned intangible, and Dean let out a rather girlish scream as he fell. Phantom let himself drop too, facing the sky and appreciating the view. He came level with Dean, and lazily turned his head to watch the human. He rather liked this human. He held out his hand and Dean grabbed it without hesitation, exclaiming at the sudden feeling of weightlessness.

"Are you done acting like a child?" Dean asked. Phantom pulled the hunter closer to him.

"Hmm, yes I do believe so." Phantom said seductively before bursting out into giggles again at Dean's expression.

"Have I told you how much I hate you recently?" Dean asked as they touched back down on the ground. Phantom smirked, a single fang showing.

"Ditto."

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"I should not have eaten that whole bowl." Sam muttered to himself as he walked back to his room to grab the ectogun. He paused in front of the room he had suspected belonged to Danny. Vlad was away for the day apparently, and he was still curious about the boy. He quietly entered the room, instantly amazed by what he saw. The room was fit for a king, and by the state of the room Danny had considered himself one. Stacks of video games, expensive laptops, a literal stash of gold. He looked around at the photos and felt unease of seeing so many of the boy. Not because the boy was presumed dead. There was this look in the boy's eyes that Sam was very familiar with. He had seen it almost every day in the mirror when Dean had been in hell. Sam tore a photo down from the wall, a recent one of Danny, but there was a shadowy figure far off behind him. While the figure was what had captured his attention in the first place, but blue eyes demanded his attention.

Blue eyes hiding an inner darkness.

He was shocked, but figured it had to be because of the boys half human nature. Then again, Vlad had told him that they did not age as fast. Collaborating the dates in the journal he knew that Danny was about 23. Sam continued to the other rooms within Danny's, and wished he hadn't. The bathroom was an absolute disaster. Red and green splatters on ivory walls. Mirror shards that glittered in the light. The sink had been ripped from the wall and sat on the floor with a large puddle of mixed blood beneath it. Hesitantly Sam reached for it, shivering when he found the blood to still be in a liquid state. Danny had been experimenting.

He wondered if Vlad knew.

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The clattering grew louder and louder, an echoing laugh filling the tower. Clockwork sighed and continued on with his work. Dan had been getting restless these past days, but it did not concern him. What did concern him was Danny. He knew that Danny would escape, preferably without Phantom. However, Danny was falling into his more self-absorbed, darker tendencies. Dan stepped into the room, tossing the gear at his feet.

"I got it out finally." Clockwork nodded his thanks. It had taken a lot of help from Nocturne and Death, but in the end they had been able to cure Dan of the scars of his past, making him a productive young ghost. "How is Danny doing?"

"Not good." Clockwork watched as Danny and Benny ambushed a group of vampires. "But he is officially out of my hands."

"What do you-"The time screens turned to static wherever Danny was shown.

"The bond he and I shared has dissolved. I cannot watch the dead."

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Dean watched as Phantom flew in loops above him. He could hardly believe he had been there ten days. Ten days of no food, no sleep, and most importantly, where the hell was Cas? A yawn escaped him, and Phantom was instantly by his side.

"You should sleep. I will keep watch."

"I need your help ghost boy." Dean said, sitting up. Phantom sat down cross legged in front of the man. "I need to find my angel."

"Purgatory is a big place Dean. It could take months for _me_ to search it, and knowing my luck he'll move to a place I had just searched." Phantom explained. Dean frowned and laid back down. He winced as bark from the log scratched at his neck. Phantom rolled his eyes and made the log intangible.

"Fucker."

"Do you have anything of the angel's?" Dean quickly took off his jacket and lifted the sleeve of his shirt to show a burned hand print. Phantom removed a glove and traced the mark, deep in thought. Dean told himself he was shivering from the cold. "No help, sorry."

"It's fine." Dean replaced his jacket. "I guess I should get some sleep."

"You can lay your head in my lap. It is probably more comfortable than a log." Phantom suggested, sitting up against the log himself. Dean debated it for a moment before agreeing, a sense of safety washing over him as he began to drift off. Soon a soft snoring could be heard from the blond man. Phantom gazed out at the woods and let a green ecto dome spring from him, claiming the small clearing as his territory. Without Danny, he had found that it was easier to use his powers. He did not want to think of it as Danny holding him back on purpose. He figured there was a certain limitation on what his human body could contain.

Including sorrow.

That day in the bathroom still gave him nightmares. He learned things he did not ever want to know. Such as the fact that his internal organs were green. Or that his exposed core was cold enough to flash freeze water. The thing that chilled him most was being forcibly chained down in Danny's mind. No control, his form used without permission. It felt like he was constantly drowning. And yet. Phantom placed his ungloved hand on Dean's hair. And yet. He and Danny were great separated, the best of friends until the second human showed up. Why would Danny kill him? How did he? Why did Danny retain powers, while he was stuck as a ghost? Danny did not call to him. He couldn't even find Danny. He missed his human. Danny did not belong here. Deep down he was the sweetest, most heroic person he knew. Danny was just struggling with feeling alone. Phantom sighed, shrinking the dome a bit. He missed Danny.

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Sam fired off another round of shots, hitting the targets perfectly. He grinned and joking blew at the tip of the gun. He gave a small shout of surprise as he suddenly fell through the floor. He whirled around but did not see anyone. He felt it again, like a tingle was running through his body and he tried to steady himself. The feeling left and he anxiously looked around. He made to take a step back, and looked down in shock. His feet were in the floor.

"Vlad this isn't funny." Sam complained, blasting the floor with the ectogun. He pried his feet out and ducked low, sweeping the perimeter. Vlad had taught him how to spot 'invisible' ghosts. In the dark it was nearly impossible, but if there was enough light… Sam shot again, a pink shield deflecting his shot. The small shimmer in the air moved to the left. Sam pretended to be searching, putting his back to the unseeable ghost. At the last moment he twisted and tackled the ghost. Plasmius appeared with a grunt as they crashed to the floor. "Gotcha."

"So it seems." Plasmius replied with a smirk. There was a puff of pink smoke and Sam barely avoided hitting his face on the floor. He blindly shot behind him, and chuckled in victory when he heard something crash into the wall. "You're doing excellent Sam."

"Where did you go today?" Sam asked as the two of them walked out of the room.

"I was adjusting some things at my company." Plasmius said, turning back into Vlad. "Sam, is it right to assume you have no plans after we find Daniel?" Sam felt a cold pit in his stomach as he remembered the scene in the bathroom.

"Vlad, I gotta show you something." Vlad simply nodded his head. "In Danny's room." Eyes flashed red.

"Why were you in Daniel's room?" Vlad asked, rage barely concealed. Sam took a moment to regain his breath, because Vlad looked absolutely stunning to him in this state. The human forcibly pushed away these thoughts, knowing that it would never be the right time.

"There's blood Vlad. So much blood." Sam continued. Hurt filled blue eyes. "In the bathroom. I… I –" Sam faltered for words. It felt like a ton of bricks was laid on his chest. He had been ignoring the whole topic of loss since he got there. Even his own loss. "Maybe it will help." Sam hated that his voice cracked. Vlad closed his eyes, and in a surprising show of vulnerability, let himself lean against the wall and slide to the floor. Sam just watched. He didn't know what to do. Vlad was always composed, cocky, cynical. Now he just looked broken. And just as soon as it had begun, it was ended. Vlad stood fluidly, placing a hand on the small of Sam's back.

"Thank you for informing me. Let's go have a drink." Sam opened his mouth to demand Vlad react, but tired eyes made him realize that the man was reacting. He was blaming himself.

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Cas stared at the glowing green dome for a while, before the sounds of monsters gaining demanded his attention. He could enter if he wanted. His bonded was within the boundary, and the ghost had no say over this. Snarling. Werewolves again then. Cas burned a small symbol in the tree nearby and then disappeared from the clearing.

He just needed Dean safe.

 **A/N: There you go, chapter 2! What do you think? This really deviated from what I intended so I will probably update the summary soon. Originally Danny and Phantom were supposed to team up with Dean and escape, while Sam and Vlad searched for them, but… Danny is out of my control. Oh well. I like what he's doing. Gives depth. As for Dan. I feel the healing process was similar to how Death put up a block in Sam's mind after he went to hell. Meaning, it may or may not crack. Who knows!**

 **Once a month updates. Maybe 2 if work doesn't load it on me.**

 **Also quick shoutout to Lilyqz, you're awesome, and I promise Danny Fenton: Paranormal Hunter will be updated very soon.**

 **o hell. Meaning, it may ilar to how Death put up a block in Sam'searched for them, but...e the summary soo**


	3. A Kind Word and a Gun

**Story: Halves**

 **Chapter: A Kind Word and a Gun**

Dean awoke to see green eyes staring down at him. He did not flinch as he normally would upon sensing someone so close to him, and for a while he just stared back. Phantom gave him a brief pat on the head before going intangible, causing Dean to curse as his head hit the ground. The Hunter got up, trying to talk himself out of getting into another fight with the ghost. He wasn't very good at it though, and turned to give the monster a piece of his mind. Phantom pointing to a symbol on a tree stopped him in his tracks. A pair of angel wings.

"Your bonded was here." Phantom said in a monotone that was much unlike him. He did not know how to feel about the marking. On the one hand, he felt relief that the angel had not seen him as a threat, as well as honored that the human's bonded entrusted him to care for him. On the other hand, why would the angel not care for his bonded himself? Dean turned away from the marking he had been inspecting to look at the ghost.

"Do you think your shield-" Dean began, and Phantom knew he was wondering the same negative as he.

"No." Phantom interrupted. "Bonded can get through any obstacle made by monster." Dean thought back to a few times where he thought Cas should not have been able to get to him and concluded this to be true in some sense. At last Phantom could not contain himself, because his own situation was crashing down on him. "He left you here." It was blurted out in a way that seemed a bit harsh. Dean turned fury filled eyes on Phantom, only to see tears in the neon green ones. "Just like Danny has left me."

"Uh, come on dude. You're like what, 24?" Dean guessed. He still had no context of how to react to male emotion, especially since his father had always said that tears were for the weak, no matter which gender. Phantom harshly wiped the tears away.

"It is okay for men to cry." Phantom spat out. "I am no tin man."

"Yeah, well get over it. So what? So he left you here! So were alone! It's not like-" Dean gave a frustrated growl, gripping the tree and giving it a swift kick. His hand curled into a fist and he began to punch at the tree repeatedly, his head leaning right up against it. Blood ran down his tanned skin, dripping onto the silver of Phantom's glove. Dean scowled at the hand that had his wrist in a vice, preventing him from moving. A blue mist escaping Phantom's mouth put them both on alert.

"Well, well. If it isn't Dean Winchester." The figure was large, and lumpy, not to mention he reeked of cabbage left in the sewer. Phantom gasped, placing his hands against his face. Dean was confused by this reaction, as well as grossed out as Phantom now had red staining the blue of his skin.

"Troooollllllll!" The ghost launched around the being. "Troll in the dungeon!" Phantom sped away into the distance. Dean felt increasingly nervous. It was quite the turnabout for the ghost.

"Heh, one on one, just like last time." The troll swung out at Dean, causing the man to duck and roll out of the way. Internally the Hunter was panicking, he had barely bested Vinnie the Troll last time, and he had gear that time. It had been one of his first solo hunts, and all he had gotten upon with his return was a note from his father that he would not return. Dean chucked a rock towards the throat, but it was easily blocked.

"Phantom what the fuck." Dean whispered under his breath. Then it clicked in his head. He laughed slightly, almost getting flattened by a foot. He cursed and raced to the nearest tree, pulling his knife and scrambling up with its aid. The troll tried shaking the tree, not noticing Phantom approaching in the distance.

"Hey Vinnie!" Phantom shouted. Vinnie turned around in time to see a large boulder coming towards his face. "Wingardium levi fuck you!" It hit with a large smack, the troll falling to the ground. Dean dropped down from the tree, hesitantly kicking the monster.

"So…you like Harry Potter?" Dean asked. Phantom grinned. "How did you even lift that?"

"Super strength, though it's a bit more heightened than other ghosts when my obsession comes into play." Phantom explained, flexing imaginary muscles.

"Obsession?" Phantom nodded, laying on the ground.

"I have to protect humanity." Phantom said. Even though his obsession technically had come from Danny's mentality, Phantom found the moral worth pursuing. He loved humans, with all their flaws. He turned on his side to see Dean lying next to him.

"That makes two buddy…" Dean paused. "How did you know the troll was called Vinnie?" Phantom froze.

"You know, I've seen him before." Phantom lied, rubbing the back of his neck. Dean narrowed his eyes, pointing to the offending hand.

"You're lying." Dean accused. "God Dammit, you better tell me what the hell is going on."

"It's nothing, okay? Don't worry about it!" Phantom shouted back, floating up abruptly. He was on the defensive, Dean glaring at the ghost from where he stood on the ground.

"Like hell, don't worry about it!" Dean threw his hands into the air. "You…you think you can do these things, but you just can't Sam!" Silence prevailed in the forest. Slowly the body next to them disappeared. Phantom spent a long moment gazing at the human. He gave a sad smile because Dean was much more than a mere human. A soldier, a warrior, a figure made of glass held together by the blood of sacrifice. Silver boots touched down silently on the greyed leaves. Danny was not going to come back.

"I think we are bonding."

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Sam let out a low groan as he sat up, holding his head. The low light of the dying fire illuminated the various bottles lying around the floor. He gave a sigh and laid back on his pillow, except it wasn't his pillow. Sam sat up as if he had been shocked. The person he had been laying on shifted in their sleep, turning over and cuddling one of the couch cushions. Sam averted his gaze, because at the moment the richest man in the world lay stark naked. He quickly patted down his own body, heaving a sigh that was half relief, half disappointment to find his clothes. The doors flew open, the loud bang hurting the Hunter's ears. Ember marched in with a large bucket, instantly pouring it over the billionaire. Vlad spluttered awake, sitting up and clutching the soaked pillow.

"You guys seem to be excelling at training." She said sarcastically. She quirked a brow at Vlad's state of undress. "What, you burn your clothes off again?"

"Out!" Ember shrugged and dropped the bucket on the floor, leaving the two alone. "Insufferable brat…" Vlad muttered.

"She's…right?" Sam said hesitantly. Vlad simply set himself on fire in response, instantly drying. The pillow that had been strategically placed was now ash. Sam snapped his head to the window, his body quickly following. "Is this, uh, is this redwood?"

"Sam. I need to ask something of you." Vlad said, as he slipped into the last of his new suit. They were approaching the day of hunting soon, and though he was looking forward to it, he was also dreading it. Sam turned and wordlessly took the tie.

"Oh yeah, of course." Vlad gave the Hunter a curious look, but allowed him to do the task for him. At times Sam would get into a sort of mood, where he was not entirely in his right mind. He often wondered what preoccupied so much of the man's time.

"That is not what I was going to ask of you." Vlad said softly after Sam did not let go of the knotted tie.

"I…I realize that now. Dean….Dean he used to always ask me to do it because he didn't know how." Sam let the silken tie slip through his fingers as he cleared his throat. "What did you need?"

"Do not mention what we saw to any of the others." Vlad told him, reigning in what he had originally meant to ask. "Ghosts do not handle sorrow as well as us humans." Sam nodded. "We will be going into the Ghost Zone today."

"Woah, wait, we aren't ready." Sam admitted.

"Merely to train. For you see, in the Ghost Zone," Vlad placed a finger in the middle of Sam's chest. ", you are the ghost."

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Danny kicked a rock out of his way, flexing his hands absentmindedly. He and Benny did not speak much, trekking in silence to a destination they might not even reach in time. Fighting together was more of a hassle, as they could not synchronize at all. This seemed to frustrate the vampire, and Danny knew exactly why. Danny knew how bonds worked, they were not a one all, be all, type of deal. It was a little like love, there was one person you chose to be with, because you are in love with them, whereas other forms exist as friendships, or familiar love. However, the bond of soulmates was not necessarily love. Personally, Danny refused to bond to anyone other than Phantom. To think that Phantom had nullified their bond, had escaped him for that other human, left a bitter taste in his mouth. If he saw Dean Winchester again, it would be the last time.

"Danny, how'd you land here anyhow?" Benny asked, trying to strike up conversation. Danny ignored him, throwing out a weak ectodisc to cut a branch in his way. He would not form any bond with Benny. He fully intended to leave the vampire behind. "I was felled by my own creator." Benny made a noise of humiliation. Despite himself Danny cracked a smile.

"As was I." Danny said. "He struck me down because I wanted to die. Let me guess, you died for love." Silence was his answer, and Danny smirked, knowing he had hit the nail on the head. It would perhaps at least buy him an hour or so of silence. Danny planned to go back to Vlad's once he was topside again. He was going to take a week of maids and money because frankly, Purgatory sucked. He was torn though. He wanted Phantom back, but it would be a constant reminder that he survived and his loved ones did not. Without Phantom he could go through life mourning as anyone else would, and eventually take over Vlad's companies.

"You're right." Benny admitted. Danny gave a satisfied huff. "I thought you were human."

"I am." Danny said. "Was, Am, Will be." The last part was said mockingly. It was around sophomore year that Danny started to worry about his mortality, and consequently his species. This place was not what Clockwork had promised. Danny stopped suddenly, causing Benny to knock into him. He had been promised Eden.

"Fruit." Benny intoned simply, staring at the bitten apple on the ground. "Color." It was such a bizarre sight in the endless grey of dead trees. Danny took a step back. He had been promised Eden.

 **LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK**

"I didn't expect the Ghost Zone to have a library." Sam said, staring up at the building. Plasmius flew up next to him, landing on the step easily. The library was falling to ruins, not that Sam could tell the difference. Loosing Danny had affected more than just him and his inner circle. By this age, Danny had befriended most every ghost in the ghost zone. While he did disagree on some issues, specifically with Spectra, they all looked up to the younger hybrid. There had been whispers of enacting him as King. Plasmius rolled his eyes at the way that the Ghost Zone handled power. Though he surmised that a free for all did eventually get redundant.

"What were you expecting?" Sam shrugged, looking around at the swirling green skyscape. It was so vast, and yet seemed comfortable. "I am impressed with your ability to control your newfound 'powers'." Plasmius admitted.

"So why are we here?" Sam questioned. The doors creaked open, a ghost poking out his head to look at them. The grey skinned ghost scowled at Sam before tossing a tome out at them and slamming the door shut again. "Nice to meet you…"

"Pay no mind to Ghost Writer. The only human he could tolerate was Daniel, and since his passing…" Sam stooped down to pick up the book. It was irritating that Ghost Writer had not at least stopped to greet him, and yet it was a testament to how dearly they needed to retrieve Daniel. "We are leaving to the Tower today."

"What?" Sam exclaimed. He studied the ghost beside him. Though it was subtle, he could tell that the Plasmius personality was dominating a bit over the Vlad personality. Sam sighed. It was not as if Vlad was two separate people between ghost and human mode, but rather was like Peter Parker under the influence of Venom. It was the closest comparison he could wrap his head around, without digging deeper into the psychology of a hybrid. When Plasmius decided to use influence, he was more impatient, bolder, at times explosive in temper. Yet he knew that Vlad also felt these things, but merely kept them restrained, having been raised differently. Plasmius could not physically do anything that Vlad did not at least desire to do in the tiniest bit. It was still Vlad speaking, merely thinking as a ghost, rather than a human.

"It is time to go. I cannot wait any longer." Plasmius said, staring off. Before Sam could respond a black and white blur had captured him and was spiriting him away. The speed was dizzying, but he could see a roaring red flame following after them. "Sam!"

 **LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK**

"Would you at least listen?" Phantom pleaded as Dean comminuted to move away from him. Neon green eyes narrowed. He was not going to play child's games, especially about this. Dean gave a shout as he was grabbed by the back of his coat and lifted into the air. Phantom turned him, keeping the human suspended in the air with green ectokinetic energy, eyes wholly green. Dean whimpered at the fact that no one was physically holding him in the air. "I do not want you." Dean ignored the fact that this stung. "Bonds are not a one all, be all. Us bonding will not break your bond with Castiel." Phantom searched the grounds around him fruitlessly. "Believe me. You will feel when your bond is broken. It will feel as if you just became the most insignificant person in the universe."

"Yeah, well Danny ain't shit, so forget about him." Dean said in a way to relieve some of the hopelessness that Phantom felt. Then he was falling, and Phantom merely watched from above, motionless. Dean closed his eyes tightly but never hit the ground. He cracked an eye open hesitantly. Phantom was holding him, yet was still in the air. Then there was three more, all begging the one in the sky to come down.

"It hurts less like this." One of them said. Dean was set down and he took a moment to gaze at the copies. Each one had something off about them. "Though it doesn't last long." All the copies collapsed back into one, Phantom standing in front of Dean.

"So we're bonded." Dean began. "Look, I'm having some trouble understanding this whole thing, and understanding what I feel about it." Phantom searched Dean's face for an idea of where the hunter was going with his speech. "Because, I mean, Cas he… he's my angel you know? I'm…I'm the righteous man, he saved me!"

"Where is he now?" Phantom asked. He really wanted to know, and hoped the angel was at least listening to the turmoil his human was going through. Dean was suffering, though he did not know why.

"I don't…" Dean trailed off, noticing the crack in his voice.

"He doesn't belong here, he's going to get out, where is he? Why isn't he saving you now?" Phantom pressed. "Where is he? Why leave you the note?"

"Hope?!" Dean responded with aggravation. "Failure?" he added more softly. "Asking for forgiveness?"

"I lied…" Phantom admitted, though he did not realize it until that moment. If the angel was not going to care for his bonded, maybe he did not deserve him. "I do want you. You are everything Danny used to be."

"What do you mean?" To Dean, Danny was nothing more than an unstable man on the brink of losing it. Dean recalled the searing pain as green blinded his vision and ended his life. Danny was a man who _had_ lost it.

"You're the dorky Batman to my Robin." Phantom said. "You want to do the good thing even though you were handed the bad cards. You're cool and collected until we talk about nerdy stuff. You're sensitive. Not to mention…" Phantom got a darker shade of blue on his cheeks.

"Hey, no, dude. I'm straight." Dean clarified. Phantom gave him a deadpan look. "Women only. I am…I am a beautiful peacock with ladies just…" Phantom slowly raised a single eyebrow. "They throw themselves at me, I'm a chick magnet." Phantom slowly nodded as if Dean was convincing him.

"Yeah, real dick magnet."

"Yes…NO!" Phantom chuckled. It was deep and melodic, causing Dean to stare a bit to closely at the quirk of the ghost's lips. When the hunter looked up to neon eyes he decided the best course of action was to run away and not look back. Dean gave a quick forced smiling before turning away and sprinting. Phantom's eyes widened in surprise before something in his core activated. His fangs elongated with anticipation.

"Let the hunt begin."

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"You're not gonna bite it, are you?" Benny asked, watching as Danny tossed the apple up and down. They had been sitting there for quite some time, the human not speaking.

"Well if biting it got Eve banned from Eden." Danny thought out loud. He let the red apple rest in his palm. Was Clockwork maybe looking out for him? Perhaps the ghost really was sorry. Why else would he stumble upon the apple at this time. If this excursion was meant to be a lesson, he could not find the moral.

"I wouldn't." The vampire disputed, squinting at the distance as his heightened smell picked something up. "Ghost?" Danny whipped around to look at the vampire.

"Where?" he demanded. "Phantom!" No grinning ghost appeared at his side. Danny whimpered, falling to his knees. He missed his ghost. Instead a hulking monster roared in the distance. Danny narrowed his eyes. A Hallow, of course. "We don't have time for this, lets go."

"Who's Phantom? " Benny asked. "You've mentioned him before."

"No one. Forget about it." Danny hissed. He stalked off, the apple tight in his hand. Benny gave a quick huff of anger, before moving to block Danny's path. "They hurt you?"

"He's my everything, and he left me for that two bit Winchester whore!" Danny exclaimed, wanting nothing more than to beat Dean to a bloody pulp. "He's mine!" his elevated voice had attracted quite a bit of attention, a few creatures begin to circle in. "I will kill Dean Winchester. No one can have Phantom, he belongs to me. He needs to be with me, he owes me!" Benny edged away from the fuming human. "I love him. I am the only one that understands him. What if-"

"What?" Benny pressed when it seemed as if Danny would stare into nothingness for the remainder of his existence. There was terror, mixed with anger, across the human's face. The vampire had no clue what to make of it.

"What if they fuse?"

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Phantom tackled Dean to the ground, the duo rolling in the mud before hitting a large rock. Phantom pinned the hunter on his stomach, pulling his right arm back, a knee in the middle of his shoulders. The hunter struggled with him, but found it moot. The ghost leaned down and ruffled the human's hair. His core was racing in excitement, though he was a bit disappointed that the chase had not lasted longer.

"So, you watch Dr. Sexy for the plot then." Phantom teased, once he gained a bit more control over his instincts.

"Yes of course. How could you forget the finale of season 3 when he mangled his hand." Dean grunted. "He was devastated, and nearly quit the hospital for good." Phantom laughed, because he and Danny owned the entire box set of Dr. Sexy.

"He was shirtless for no reason in that scene." Dean frowned, trying to recall if that was true. Phantom let the human to his feet. "You know, there is such a thing as bi-sexual."

"Those are a myth." Dean stated, pointing a finger at the ghost. Phantom rolled his eyes, but favored this discussion over the hopelessness they had been experiencing earlier.

"Vampires, werewolves, ghosts and almost every other thing that goes bump in the night is supposed to be a myth too." He rationalized. "I want to try fusing with you. We might be able to find Castiel faster if our beings are combined."

"Fusion? What the heck are we going to go super saiyan on this hellhole?" Dean asked, uncomfortable with the idea.

"Technically it's a Purgatory-hole." Phantom joked. Dean glowered at him. Phantom sobered up, knowing that this was a thing that needed to be taken seriously. From the hunter's perspective the change was significant. Loose posture, that at times defied the laws of physics, was lost to a stiff back and raised chin. The neon green that reminded Dean of the excitement of Vegas gained a dimension, and suddenly Dean could not place having seen a color such as it before. "Look. I don't know how to explain it," the voice had not changed, still jilted with childish tones. "It's like reverse possession. It's like anti Venom, it's like Harry having that shard of Voldemort in him giving him-"

"Woah, wait what? Harry Potter has a part of Voldemort in him? Hello, spoilers!" Dean ranted. He had needed to stop after the fifth book, the death of Sirius Black taking too much of a toll on him.

"It's been out for years dude." Phantom backtracked. The ghost gave a sigh, realizing he broke his professional personality. "But you get the point. Harry can only talk to snakes because Voldemort was within him. That's what it will be like." Neon eyes were not hopeful. Dean shook his head.

"No, we continue on foot."

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"Welcome." Sam gazed about in awe. He was in the tower. Several screens around him showed different points in his life. A few were of him with Dean when they were younger, a couple of him and Jessica, one of him and Vlad. He was still being held by the ghost that had kidnapped him, and it was strange that the body did not feel hot or cold. It felt mostly human. The arms wrapped around him a bit tighter as the one who had spoken floated into view.

"Clockwork." Sam whispered. The hooded ghost nodded. His throat was dry, but he forced his question past his lips. "Is Dean okay?"

"Let us wait for our other guest." Clockwork answered, tapping a few of the screens to activate them. Sam gave a perplexed look. "You are wondering why I did not just invite you in."

"Yeah. Vlad is going to be pissed." Sam responded. Flaring red flashed to forefront of his mind. Vlad rarely let the flames get to such a dark shade, as he said the energy output was less than input. Sam was past denying that he liked Vlad, at least in the safety of his own mind. He wondered what Dean would say to his little brother liking an older man. The ghost holding him chuckled, bringing him back to the present.

"That was the point." The voice was familiar, yet not, like the difference between hearing a recording and the real thing.

"Dan is correct. His anger is meant to dispel a few doubts, and raise a few more questions." Clockwork added. "He should be arriving soon."

"Dan?" Sam gasped. That is why the voice sounded familiar. It had the deep baritone of Vlad, without the dictation. The ghost rested his head on the Hunter's shoulder. "You're supposed to be evil." He was uncomfortable.

"Phantom is happy, so I am not evil." Dan explained. "Whoops, cat out of the bag." Sam scrunched his brow. He slowly shook his head.

"No, you exist outside the timeline. Danny said so. Anything occurring in his life after he defeated you should have no effect on you." He counter argued. "You are inevitable."

"You may be too smart for your own good." Dan hissed. Clockwork tapped the ghost on the head with his time staff, reigning in the anger.

"It is a trap then." Sam accused. The possibility had always been in his head, and he brought it up to Vlad frequently. He felt tension creeping into his frame, suddenly not okay with the muscular ghost holding him in place. Sam may be strong, but he did not measure up to the power of a ghost like Dan. Clockwork shifted into his young adult form and floated in front of Sam, staring at the Hunter. Brown eyes searched the red abyss in front of him.

"Tell me Samuel." Clockwork turned his time staff into a scythe. "Am I not an angel, because my wings are hidden to you?" Sam tapped the side of his leg, a nervous habit. "Am I not Death, when in my meat suit?" Clockwork used the tip of his blade to bring Sam's attention back when the human looked away. "Are you not a believer?"

"I was, am. I always was, and then…" Sam recalled his meeting with Uriel.

"You wanted to be saved by them." Clockwork said. It was not a guess. "You were the little boy with demon blood who believed in angels, and hoped they were watching over him." A blue hand patted his head, confusing the hunter who was on the verge of tears because of the humiliation. "And you were the one who ended up watching over an angel." The screens changed, and Sam turned to watch. "This counts for much Samuel."

"I'm just a man with a shotgun." Sam denied, not knowing how to deal with the praise. Clockwork smiled.

"For now." He assured. "When Vladimir arrives I will show you exactly what you are looking to see. No tricks, no traps, no alternative timeline." Sam felt himself nodding, the calm of the ghost's voice relaxing him. Dan released Sam, slinging an arm over his shoulder and shoving a drink into Sam's free hand. The door blasted open with a boom, causing Sam to spill most of the drink over himself.

"Where is he?" The ghost shouted. He had sensed the signature of the ghost that had captured the human, finding it to be something he had hoped to never experience. Plasmius gazed around and then raised an eyebrow in confusion, the flames around him dying down.

"Vlad, you just ruined a nine-hundred-dollar suit." Dan complained, motioning to the stain of wine on the light grey suit. "Where's the fire?" Dan smirked. "Oh wait, you are the fire." Plasmius landed on the ground, slowly walking towards Sam.

"Yeah, I was confused too." Sam admitted, deciding to play along. It could not hurt to do so. After having read Danny's journal so many times over, he felt as if he knew Clockwork. Despite Danny losing his trust for the time ghost, Sam could see that he had a job, just as all others. Clockwork gave him an approving nod. A black glove touched the center of his chest, causing him to look down at it in surprise. Brown eyes traveled up to look at Plasmius' face. The ghost was silent for a few moments.

"You are still alive." He said, as if he could not believe it. Of the million reasons that Dan would take Sam, the human had died in every perceived scenario. He had figured with Danny gone that Dan would seek vengeance on his other half. Or perhaps Dan blamed Sam for the death of the Fenton Family. Another thought occurred to him. The red of the flames, and the black of the grief could have killed him. "Am I?" the ghost asked, looking at Clockwork.

"Why wouldn't you be alive?" Sam asked in confusion. The human would first assume a dream, rather than death due to the bizarre turn of events. Clockwork gave the human a significant look before turning to ask Plasmius a question.

"Would this be your Heaven if you were?" Black rings sprung out, leaving Vlad to stare back at Dan and Sam. Dan grinned largely and pulled Sam closer to him, as if they were lifelong friends.

"Yes."

"Yes?" Sam asked. He knew about Heaven, and that each person got their personal one. He would have never imagined that Vlad would include him in such a place of paradise. Vlad nodded. "We're not dead. I think that Clockwork has good news though." Clockwork tapped the biggest screen. The time at the top showed it was live. Phantom was lying dramatically on the ground, Dean rolling his eyes from a nearby log.

" _You can't die, you're already dead…like twice."_ Dean told the ghost, kicking at the leg near him.

" _If I died twice, can't I die again?"_ Phantom argued, changing his feet into a spectral tail and whipping Dean with it. " _Just admit it, or… or I'll hold my breath."_

" _You don't breathe either."_ The Hunter sighed.

" _How would you know? You never get close enough to my face to tell."_ Phantom teased. Sam noticed a blush over Dean's face and gave a smug smirk. He always suspected his brother was a switch hitter. Getting him to admit it though.

" _I'm not falling for that again."_ Dean pouted.

" _You're just afraid you'll like it…again."_ Phantom said. " _I know I did."_

" _It's been a while! I would react to anyone kissing me like that!"_ Dean shouted. Sam chanced a look at Vlad, who seemed to be evaluating Dean. This made his stomach churn a bit, and for as smart as he was, he could not figure out why.

"We better turn this off." Dan said when Phantom got a predatory look in his eyes. Clockwork tapped the screen, causing it to go black. Sam and Vlad stared at their reflections. Sam was coming to terms that while Dean may be away from him, he was at least happy. It wasn't Heaven, but it wasn't Hell either. He figured that Dean liked that ambiguity, the man would absolutely start a riot party in Heaven. He loved being him a little too much to be a goody goody. He was just a little concerned about him finding an interest in Danny Phantom. From what he had seen however, there was no longer any underlying darkness in those eyes. The neon green was jubilant and playful, while also hinting at wisdom.

Vlad on the other hand was in shock. There was an afterlife for ghosts. Purgatory. Would he too go there when he decided he was done living? He thought about asking the reaper, but did not. He figured that a straight answer would not be given to him. His pseudo son seemed happy at last, even if he was not with his loved ones. It seemed a little too good to be true. Red eyes looked over to Dan, who was trying to execute a martial art style spin with the scythe. It did not go well. Vlad allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he watched Dan, assuming that Phantom's new ability to let the past be the past had a positive effect on the ghost. Instead of asking any more questions, Vlad simply enjoyed the time in silence, for it was true what he told Clockwork, this could be heaven. His son, ever the man-child, deciding to play with a dangerous object would bring daily amusement to him, as well as an opportunity to teach the young man. He looked over at his human companion. Sam had a perplexed look about him, that made Vlad doubt a few things.

"I believe we should go." Vlad intoned, gesturing to Sam. Sam nodded, but took his time thanking Clockwork and Dan. Vlad watched these interactions silently. The human was not afraid to touch the ghosts, and although his posture was tense, it was merely from the way he was raised rather than any real perceived threat. He heard Dan give a laugh, and upon looking in that direction saw brown eyes boring in to him. He could not hide his shock, but tried to play it off as a sudden epiphany. "Can we visit them?" The question was directed at Clockwork, but it was Dan who answered.

"Once you die." He gripped Sam's shoulder tightly. "Assuming you bond to your monster by then." It was a like a warm flare in his core. Vlad transformed back into Plasmius and offered his hand to Sam. The hunter gave it a courtesy glance.

"I think I want to fly home instead." Sam floated up, stabilized and then took off in the direction of Vlad's portal. While it had stung that Sam had rejected his hand, another emotion overtook Plasmius.

Sam had called the mansion home.

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Cas stilled as he heard a crack nearby. He let his wings flare out in warning, though he did not know which creature was near, and if they could see them. Two creatures emerged from his left, growls that sounded like the screams of tortured wolves reverberating in his ears. This would be an easy battle. Blue eyes lit up and he threw out his arm, his wing following suit, sending several piercing feathers to hit the target. They instantly dissipated to smoke. Cas quickly brought his wings closer to him, trying to centralize as much of the energy as he could. He could not deal with being in such a place much longer. He hummed to himself, a song that was on Dean's EyePod.

The angel sat on a nearby rock, deciding that he was safe for the time being. Abandoning Dean was what was best for the human, but he felt so bad doing it. He could hear the self-doubt and suffering that Dean was experiencing. This sacrifice, could not even be called one. Yes, it hurt him to be away from Dean, but his bonded was hurting more. He was losing his divinity, and he was unsure how he felt about it. He imagined Dean, as well as Sam, and Bobby too. He missed them, and would miss them in passing too. He looked to the sky, wondering why his Father had not yet intervened. Perhaps it was because he was too broken to be considered a saint. The moment he dove down into Hell, he had damaged himself. Dean Winchester deserved to be saved though. It did not matter that he action had singed his wings, or that it dimmed his halo. Cas thought back to the creatures he had been fighting off, and deduced that perhaps he was becoming more of a sinner, day by day. In the beginning he would go hand to hand, striking the points that would terminate them without much pain. Now though, they just kept coming. He struck them down, hard and fast, with little remorse.

Standing again he kept on going, walked the opposite direction than what he could sense Dean. He would have to keep fighting. At least until Dean found a way out, and lord help anyone who touched the man. His wings ruffled in agitation remembering the other humanoid that was in the realm. Danny Fenton. The boy, and yes the twenty four year old was a boy to him, had not been ready. No matter what he may have thought when plunging that knife into himself, he had not been ready to die. It was similar to Dean, he knew that the man would lay down his life for the sake of the world, but he would not be ready. Cas watched a leaf fall to the ground. As an angel he was not meant to be here, if he died here, that would be the end of him. There was a fear, yes, but there was also a purpose. If love was to be a fight, he would die for those he loved in a moment. He truly loved the Winchesters, the boys as well as their parents, even if John left a bit to be desired. Bobby Singer as well. Ultimately, though, he was in this mess because of Dean, and he would not have it any other way.

They had of course been watching Dean Winchester since he lost his mother. A gentle push here, a bit of a forceful tug at other times, the angels kept him alive. Cas had never been assigned to the human, but he did frequently watch the progress, and despite himself could feel a bond growing. Michael had been in charge of rotating out the other angels so that they would have a significant amount of time with the Righteous Man, for he was to be Michael's vessel. Yet, Michael did not pay visit to Dean, or file his prayers. Castiel did, each one he placed in the right box, and at times, he felt the beginning of emotion at the ones that begged God to bring his father home safe. Then, he saw Dean create the deal. Dean Winchester was a man by that time, and did not have angels nearby around the clock, it was happenstance, or perhaps destiny, that he happened to look down to the man. He did not say anything at first, not wanting to give himself away. However, when it became clear that the hellhounds were to get Dean he had taken off in search of his brother. No one was paying attention to Dean Winchester; no one had noticed his absence. In took a day to discover that Michael was in the throne room, holding conference with angels as they came. The line stretched on for miles. A day in Heaven was the equivalent to a month on Earth, once you reached the highest level where the souls of the dead, and God himself were. He flew to the front of the line, causing outcry and security to detain him. He was then thrown back down to the lower level. It took three more days to break through and alert Michael.

It had caused a panic, Michael sending fleets of angels to go after the man. It was a tragically beautiful sight to see them freefall towards Earth. A heavy hand landed on him, and his brother asked him many questions before he was told to stay behind no matter what. It had been too late to prevent what Michael feared. He shared a profound bond with Dean Winchester, and he would be the one to save him. He may have injured a few guards in the process but he left Heaven at the speed of a falling star, straight into the fiery depths of hell.

"Come out come out!" A voice called. "Here, little angel…" Leviathans, there was no doubt. He did not wait this time before calling the flock to him by extending his grace. Several appeared, followed by more, until about twenty surrounded him. Cas let the trench coat fall to the ground, the tie loosened. His blue eyes scanned the enemy. The surged as one as Cas let his eyes fall closed. Dean was relying on him. There was several pained shouts as Cas began to fight them off. Therefore, a soldier he would be.

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"I am going to try the apple." Danny said after about an hour of contemplation. He wanted out, and if it did nothing he would have even more motivation to escape the punishment that Clockwork had given him. Benny shrugged, tired of trying to relate to the stubborn human. Benny knew this was not the human that the rumors had been about. This human was almost more a monster than he was. The bright red apple was brought up to pale lips, a blue mist passing over it. The crunch was crisp, and Benny watched the human carefully.

"Anything?" Benny questioned.

"Well that was-" Danny wheezed, the fruit rolling from his hand and onto the ground, turning black from where he had bitten it. He gripped at his throat, falling to his knees. He began to cough violently, his entire body convulsing. Benny grabbed Dany by the chest, concerned that the human was choking. The heart under his fingertips had no discernable pattern, merely pounding away at random. Blue began to overtake the human's skin, green eyes burning a beam of neon light through the forest. He could see the piece of red in Danny's mouth.

"Spit it out!" Benny commanded. Danny tore away from him, bathing Benny in the green light when he pinned the vampire with a glare. The color was shifting, slowly but surely. A serpentine tongue pressed the piece of fruit out to the forest floor, retreating behind grinning fangs when this did nothing to stop the transformation. Benny did the only thing he could think of. He attacked.

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"He bit it, didn't he?" Dan asked when he found Clockwork staring at a blank screen. "A monster for eternity now. Do you think he will take it better than Eve did?"

"I think that Purgatory will find themselves with a dictator." Clockwork replied, leaving Dan in the room alone. Dan gripped at his head, getting a minor headache just behind his eyes. He shook it off, the wall would hold. How bad could he have really been?

"What were you thinking Danny?" Dan asked aloud to the dusty room. His reflection sneered at him, causing him to face it fully in surprise. The black screen version of him mimicked his motions exactly. He figured it must have been the curve of the screen playing tricks on him. Today was officially the day that he and Danny were the same age, and he would be taken off his homeostatic aging spell. He was where Danny should have been, and the hybrid was where he was meant to be. He should have gone in after Danny. Although Dan was now officially his own person, he still felt as if he owed to Danny his existence, and wished to look after his counterpart. "A dictator…." Dan whispered to himself, eyes getting distant. A sudden, artificial spark of amusement jumped to his eye. "Haha, penis potato." If the following laughter turned manic towards the end, no one was around to mention it.

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Benny held a hand over the sizable bite in his neck. Danny was wiping he blood off his chin in horror, his hand shaking as he brought the red substance to eye level. Panicked blue looked to him for answers. The man looked like a lost little boy. There was nothing Benny could say, however, not without making things worse. Slowly depth, anger, and sorrow returned to the robin egg eyes, turning them something akin to slate blue.

"You incompetent son of a bitch!" Danny shouted, ripping Benny's hand away from his neck. Benny bared his fangs in warning, but Danny merely took a piece of fabric from his shirt in order to bandage it. Once Benny was patched up, Danny walked away, heading for the nearest stream.

"Who was that boy?" Benny asked, his voice hoarse.

"The blood loss is messing with your head." Danny spat. "There was no boy."

"The one in your face." Benny clarified. Danny stopped, turning back to Benny.

"That boy died along with his loved ones."

"Leaving his shell for a monster to inhibit." Danny bared his new row of fangs. He was beyond agitated, he felt like tearing Purgatory up from its roots. "I can change you back."

"How?" Danny commanded.

"That will have to wait, because I don't exactly remember. Jus' don't draw anyone's blood." Benny admitted, taking the lead. The trip would be quicker now with Danny able to keep up with his vampire speed. He did a few quick steps, moving halfway down stream. Distantly he heard Danny curse.

If a tree falls in a forest and a vampire needs to use super senses to hear it, did it signal a bond?

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Sam had barely made it into Vlad's lab before Kitty, the female ghost babbling about a mile a minute, was pulling him along. Sam patiently waited for a break in her speech in order to interrupt, before recalling that Kitty did not need to breathe. Vlad shut the portal and raced after them. He seemed to understand what the girl was saying, and his face lit up. Kitty let go of Sam, to tug at her hair.

"What…" Sam began, though it was clear that Kitty was not listening. He stood in a moment of shock as Vlad sprinted down the hall with Kitty. The billionaire turned to look over his shoulder, calling for Sam to follow. Vlad looked divine with the large smile framed by lose locks of greying hair, and so Sam did as told, catching up in a manner of seconds. "What is going on?"

"A child Sam!" Vlad said with a laugh. His cobalt eyes sparkled with a fresh look on life. The trip to the reaper had helped the ghost with moving on, and Sam figured that he should too.

"Where?" He asked observing every door as they approached it.

"Ember's room!" Kitty answered, finally tired of running and shooting up through the ceiling. Sam quickly calculated the quickest route to the singer's room.

"Race you." He blurted before taking off. He could hear Vlad's footfalls behind him and he flashed a superior grin over his shoulder. Vlad responded with a smug look of his own, running through a ring of black light. "Cheater!"

"Never." Plasmius said in fake offense. He took Sam by the hand, teleporting them to the room. The scene was nothing like how Sam had expected. There was a light blue bubble floating in the middle of the room, Skulker and Ember sitting beneath it in deep meditation. At times Ember's lips would quirk into a smile, and Skulker would give a huff. Green and blue flames mixed, surrounding the bubble. Kitty was practically crushing Johnny's arm a high-pitched squeal emanating from her. Plasmius gripped Sam's hand tighter, and the human realized that he had forgotten to let go. Slowly the bubble melted away, showing a young ghost. He had grey skin with a tuft of fiery green hair. Eyes wearily blinked open, a wonderful blue. Ember floated up, and the baby landed in her arms.

"Thanh." The baby cooed melodically. She clutched her son tightly to her, looking over at Vlad and Sam. There was tears in the halfa's eyes, and Sam figured there was also a lump in his throat. The others did not know that they had gone the tower, and Sam figured that what they had discovered would make the moment even sweeter.

"Danny's happy…with my brother believe it or not." Johnny let out a holler of joy.

"Time to party!" Nervous eyes looked to Vlad. "Uh, with your permission…" Vlad gave the ghost a stern look.

"We will not be having a party." He said. Sam gave Vlad a look, feeling that he was being unfair. A quick wink caught him off guard. "We will be having an announcement!" Vlad sunk through the floor, pulling the reluctant Sam with him. "Press that button." Vlad told him, pointing to one that looked like the million others on the board. Sam placed his hand over it.

"What exactly is an announcement?" Sam asked. Vlad placed his hand over Sam's and they pressed the button together. The portal doors flew open, ghosts already beginning to gather. Vlad gestured them in, pulling Sam into the Ghost Zone. Above his portal in beautiful script was a message. "On behalf of Ember McClain and Skulker Huntsman, Vlad Masters and Sam Winchester would like to present Thanh."

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"You are going to hurt yourself." Phantom said lazily as Dean continued to stumble around with his hands covering his face. There was a muffled complaint. "Well stop denying it and I'll stop trying to get it out of you." Dean let his hands fall to his sides.

"I'm bi okay?" he huffed in exasperation. Phantom nodded, walking upside down next to Dean. "Can we focus on what's important now?"

"Yes. I…A baby was made." Phantom gasped, falling on his head as he dropped out of the air. He scrambled upright, looking around in a frenzy.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked. "If this is some time of joke-"

"Shush!" Phantom hissed, trying to find a thread of an invitation anywhere. They could follow the feeling back home, back to the new baby, Vlad was announcing it, along with…Sam. He looked at Dean, but decided against mentioning it. "A baby was made by a pair of ghosts. Ghosts that I know! My godfather, well Danny's godfather technically, made an announcement. A truce, among all ghosts, to see the new kid. I can sense the calling but I think this place is scrambling it. I can't find the path."

"Woah, okay. Calm down." Dean said, pulling the ghost to his chest. "Relax. Breathe."

"Don't need to breathe." Phantom reminded him.

"Just pretend to." Dean replied. Phantom took a few calming breaths.

"I can't find it." Phantom admitted. "I'm sorry." It was too much for the ghost to handle and he broke into tears. Dean sighed, and it made Phantom tense.

"It's okay." The human assured. "We should stop for the night."

"Okay." Phantom agreed, moving away from the Hunter. He began to clear a spot for them to reside for the night. Dean shoved his hands in his pockets. He was past the point of no return. Cas may have saved him, but now it was his turn to save Phantom. If they found Cas, it would be great, but if they couldn't. "Do you know how to sing?" Dean nodded, taking a spot next to Phantom. A song had been stuck in his head all day, without much reason. He had not heard the song in ages, having it downloaded on his old iPod that was shoved somewhere in the seats of the Impala.

"They say before you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for." Dean began, allowing Phantom to rest his head on his shoulder. "Well, baby, you are all that I adore." A small dome of green light surrounded them. Dean let his eyes fall closed. "If love is what you need, a soldier I will be." A puff air against his neck told him that Phantom had fallen asleep. He found it amusing that the ghost mimicked breathing while asleep. Dean stared at the sky, wishing for the constellations from back home.

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"I'm an angel with a shotgun, fighting 'til the war's won, I don't care if heaven won't take me back. I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe. Don't you know you're everything I have? And I wanna live, not just survive…" Cas curled his wings around him tightly, the chill of the night getting to him. ", tonight."

 **So I missed the one month mark, sorry. It should help to know that I am already half way done with the next chapter, and I will most likely post over Thanksgiving Break. What did you guys think, please review!**


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